In the Darnkess of the Night
by kaiyae
Summary: "A dark shadow has awakened in the world, no one knows who exactly this person is, but it's really bad. Yuffie and Vincent are paired together to watch over Icicle town when a new enemy is on the loose. How will they handle being together? and more importantly, will AVALANCHE find the necromancer? Yuffie/Vincent & Cloud/Tifa
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, this is Kaiyae ^^ so this is my first story here. I love Yuffinities and Cloties lol so you might expect something like that here**_

_**Disclaimer- I do not own any character in this story, the settings and the characters belong to Square-Enix. This is a work of pure fiction by a fan of Final Fantasy VII**_

_**Okay :) thank you for reading.**_

Chapter 1

The cold and unforgiving winter bit at my fingers as a cold gust of wind passed through me. Picking up my head I could see what I had seen the past hundredth times I had done this, snow, snow everywhere. _Well this sucks. _I thought as I picked up my PHS and held it close to my already frozen face… well not frozen but almost frozen. The machine beeped a few times against my ear before the static voice of Barret came through the other side.

"Yo… what's up?" How lovely, it sounded like he was enjoying himself unlike me, though of course that wouldn't be so hard since Cloud had assigned him to watch Costa Del Sol.

"Nothing, that's what's up!" I whined out of boredom. "Can you believe it? Cloud sends me to Icicle town but doesn't let me ski! Oh, but that's not it I have to stay here outside the stupid cabin freezing my butt off waiting for I don't know what to come down and try to destroy the town!" I wasn't in a good mood, the old man that lived in the cabin didn't have hot coco, who doesn't have hot coco when you live in the coldest place of Gaia?! It should almost be a rule to own hot coco if you were planning to live somewhere up here.

"Look kiddo, just wait there and if ya see something fishy call spikey." Barret responded and I had the feeling he hadn't really heard half of what I had just said. "And I gotta leave, Marlene wants some ice-cream."

_Ugh! They're even having ice-cream! _This was it, this was totally the worst mission they had ever given me.

I wrapped my coat tighter against myself hoping for some warmth to come out of it or at least for the friction to cause that, but nothing could help me. Well I could always go back inside and change spots with my partner, but we weren't in the best of terms at the moment.

"He didn't even paired me up with Tifa, even old Cid would have been better…" At least Cid would have ignored me for a while, either that or scream at me, maybe he would have come out for himself in order to smoke for a while.

Yup, Cloud was definitely in my black list for this.

I guess I could do some explaining for this, but who likes to read boring beginnings anyways? Well since anything sounds better than staying here and watching my fingers fall out I guess I'll start.

"Thought you were a delivery boy now." My voice resounded through the empty hall of the building as Tifa, Cloud, and I walked through it. We were in the WRO headquarters heading for Reeve's office, they had fixed the place up fairly well I have to admit that. Some years ago ( and after the trio of locos had tried to fry the planet once again) they had formed this organization, and even though I never doubted that Reeve could do it I never thought he would make it so pretty. I mean even the floors were shinny and all.

"I am, but if things get out of hand I'll try to help." Cloud said back to me with a voice that said he wasn't going to cope with me. I was actually working for Reeve, you know doing some secret searches here and there, hunting some materia on the side, same stuff as always.

"You won't try, believe me, once one thing gets into that spiky head of yours it doesn't get out." _Like Tifa. _I thought with an inner smile, they were so cute together even if both of them said there was nothing going on.

"If it's serious then we'll take action." He didn't denied my comment! Cloud zero, Yuffie one!

Of course it was serious, a necromancer was hidden somewhere and we didn't exactly knew where. All we knew was that towns were being attacked by night, some zombies and banshees, nothing too extreme, but lives were being lost and some people had been ill because of the attacks. Reeve had said that the necromancer was probably stronger than his attacks seemed and that he(or she) was probably wanting to lure us in. Midgar was the first option to start looking, and apparently we were going to do the plans today.

The three of us entered a room full of flat screens and computers, on the center the rest of the team was standing, Reeve wasn't disguised as Caith, his long blue robe…_it is a robe right? Oh well I suppose it doesn't really matter. _A smile crept to his lips as he saw us enter the room though it quickly faded as for what I suppose he was reminded of what we were here for.

Barret, Cid, Red, and Vincent were also there and each of them said hi in their own way. Barret raised his hand and said "Yo!" Cid grumbled: "'twas time for you to get your asses here." Nanaki and Vincent simply nodded, oh well they were the serious of the group after all.

"You didn't find any trouble in the way, did you?" Reeve asked us.

"Besides being bored to death? Nope, don't think so." I answered quickly twirling around an locating a chair where to sit on, almost instantly I found a place where to sit and made sure to stay comfy since I knew this would be a long story.

"It was safe." Cloud added.

"That's good, well without further delay I would like to explain what has been happening lately." I stretched my legs lazily as I prepared for it, Barret shot me a look that probably meant for me to pay attention and I answered by waving my hand. Yeah, yeah I knew the drill, they'll explain what the bad guy is doing, we go after him, kick his butt, save the planet, and everyone is happy, easy as cake.

So, from what I was actually able to understand this guy was bad, pretty bad, I mean not Sephiroth crazy kind of bad, more like a Hojo kind of bad. The guy was using black magic to bring up dead corpses, and after this killed more he would use the fresh ones, apparently he was doing experiments trying to make his creations stronger, and it was showing in the attacks. The only thing that wasn't for sure was his location, the attacks were at random Costa del Sol, Icicle Town, Kalm, Edge, some were seen on the plains wondering around in the darkness of the night.

"We call him or her Oblivion, since we do not know it's real name, however, we were informed that he has a great amount of power that shouldn't be let out on the citizens." Reeve kept on explaining, from my seat I could see where Cloud was planning out stuff in his head, he thought to hard about stuff, me? Sometimes, mostly if it was about materia, but I could be pretty smart about strategies, I specialize in gathering information for heaven's sake! "Also, this person left us a note." With those words I looked up. A note? Lovely, bad guys loved leaving notes behind, maybe to show how badass they could be, though this usually gave us a lead to where they could be. You see? I'm thinking deeply right there.

The large flat screen in the middle of the room came to life as a small white and perfect note card appeared in the middle.

_AVALANCHE_

_Let the hunt begin._

That was it, the letters had been printed with a fancy handwriting but there was really nothing to it! The guy (or girl) knew how to play his cards.

"Straight to the point." Barret pointed out.

"It has been preparing for this." Nanaki mentioned looking intensely at the screen.

"We have been looking for DNA of fingerprints on the card, but there are none; it is as clean as a note card can be." Reeve informed us while walking slowly through the room stroking his small beard. "It must know that we are looking for it."

"You don't have any idea of where it could be hiding?" Cloud questioned. _Of course he didn't, Cloud, he just said that._

"Unfortunately no, the monsters vanish into thin air once the sun raises, there are no tracks, nor scents that could lead us to the person who let out the zombies. Also the villagers who were murdered also seem to disappear by sunrise." Continued Reeve answering Cloud's question.

"Then there is not much to do except to look for any other evidence." Cloud announced looking around before saying those words I knew he would muster. "We need to split up."

I groaned, I hated splitting up! I always ended up with someone who either found me annoying or … yeah, annoying.

"I agree, the towns were even enough to leave us with groups of two." Reeve accepted. Gosh, not you too Reeve.

"Me and Tifa will go to Kalm, to see how things are there. Barret and Cid, you guys should go check out Costa del Sol, but remember to stay on task." Cloud warned the two men. _Of course you would choose Tifa, you little… ugh. _I swear he gets every chance to be with her, and what about me?! I mean I want to spend time with my best friend, she's one of the only girls I know that doesn't treat me like I'm a weirdo or annoying. "Reeve, I need you and Nanaki to go and see Edge, maybe the people around there could tell you some stuff."

I stared in disbelief. He was serious? He-he couldn't mean what I thought me meant. Slowly I turned towards the dark and stoic Vincent was standing against a far off wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His long black hair covered most of the side of his face because of the position he had, but I could see the light of one of his crimson red eyes watching me too probably wondering the same thing as I was. _Why in the world do I have to be paired with him? _

Don't take me wrong, I know Vinnie was important saving the world and all like I was, and I kind of liked him cause he helped me out a couple of times, and come on he's right next to Cloud when it comes to being serious about things, but Vinnie is also so… so … deathly boring! He never speaks unless is something important, and if it isn't well it's something intelligent that takes me a while to understand, sometimes I think it's a lot about sarcasm, but then again I wouldn't know.

"Vincent, you and Yuffie will go to Icicle town, where the last attack took place." Vincent nodded not even commenting on the order. Cloud's mako blue eyes then shifted to me as he looked at me straight into my eyes. "And I don't want to hear complaints."

"Yeah, yeah, got it boss man." I rolled my eyes and waved him off.

"Well then, let's get the hell outa here." Cid straightened up before starting to walk. "Whoever doesn't get on ma' ship will be left behind so move those feet."

Everyone started walking out and I pondered whether I should go spend some time in the kitchen or something and be left behind.

"Come on Yuffie." Tifa hurried me with a small smile, she knew I didn't liked this at all. I finally got up from my place and started walking with them. Gosh, this would take forever.

As for why am I in bad terms with Vinnie? Well, that's a different story, when we reached Icicle town-

The door of the cabin suddenly sprung open making me jump to my feet. Vincent strode out, his cape flying backwards with the cold air that was passing through at this height of the mountain. He looked down at my five feet two inches height, stupid height, always left me look weak.

"Time to change posts." His deep voice said to me and even though I wanted to clap in joy knowing that I could now go inside and into the warmth I didn't wanted to let him see that I was happy with this decision.

"Alright." I agreed with the most indifferent tone I could come up with before shrugging as if I didn't care.

Vincent sat down where I had been some seconds ago, a chair placed outside the cabin, and I started to walk inside when we both heard it.

There was a sheer scream, that came from the town, an unspoken alarm in the middle of the night, and we both knew that even though there had been an incident just three days ago in that place, those unloving souls were probably at it once again.

Vince and I exchanged looks, knowing what this meant. Without another word we jumped in a dashing chocobo and headed back to town.

Somehow I didn't really wanted to see how things were back there, but I kept following Vinnie through the dark night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

You're probably wondering, how did we heard a cry in the night when the town was so far away? Well, it wasn't exactly in the town, that is why. As we were heading up the mountain and towards Icicle town we spotted a small camp near the woods. A woman was on the ground crying for help as her husband (or at least that was what assumed he was) tried to make the zombie back up with a torch he had on his hand.

The creature was strikingly horrifying, his flesh had fallen off places while still bleeding cuts were clearly visible, his pose showed that it was hard for it to walk, though there was something about it that told me he was completely capable of tearing the man's arm out.

"Please help!" The woman screamed and once we were at a good distance I stood up on top of my chocobo (kids, don't try this at home) and flung my conformer at it easily cutting it's head off. The man seemed surprised at the action though he quickly regained his defensive position with the fire as the head started to chomp it's way back to him.

"It's not completely dead." I mentioned as Vinnie and I got off our steeds, Vincent didn't commented and shot the head right thought the middle, blood splattered the man and the woman cried in fear once again as the night went silent.

"Thank you so much." The man, who had an impressive beard came to us and shook hands with Vincent. "It came out of nowhere and tried to bite us. I thought this things wouldn't come up to the mountains." "Have you heard about the town." Vincent asked.

"No, but we saw some shadows moving that way." The woman answered hysterically yet she was calmer than some seconds ago.

"Alright, you should seek a better place to spend the night in." Vinnie offered to what the guys nodded. Darn, he was good at this, I would have simply walked away after killing the monster, or make the couple pay me with materia. "Yuffie, we should go."

I considered whether I wanted to refuses of going with him because he ordered it, or not, either way if I didn't followed him I wouldn't have Cloud off my back when he lectured me. I shrugged before we go on our chocobos one more time and headed for the town.

When we reached there the scene was as bad as I had imagined it. Corpses everywhere, some were of the monsters, some I wasn't even sure of what exactly they were. Screams of terrorized people as they closed their doors and windows to the living dead.

"Call the guys." Those were the last words Vincent said to me before he leaped into action and started shooting away. I quickly grabbed my PHS before throwing my conformer at any zombie that could come after me.

"Yuffie-" Tifa was cut off as I heard her kick something in the other side of the line, grunts of what I recognized were the undead made their way to my side of the line. "Don't tell me you guy's were also attacked."

"We weren't, they attacked the town." I answered before throwing my weapon once again.

"It seems like all of the towns were, it's trying to confuse us." Another set of punches were heard. "Try to hold them back, and make sure to look for clues-"

The connection was lost leaving me with the sound of the static. Hastily I threw the PHS in my chocobo's bag before pushing it away.

"Leave birdbrain, I'll go catch you later, I don't want you to become zombie food." The stupid green bird stared at me with beady eyes. Gosh, she never got me. I got a green and she leaped in joy before I threw it away and into a distant place, she and Vince's dark chocobo followed it like their lives depended on it, and in a way it did.

I turned around to face the town, blood was splattered all through the snow, body parts were laid all across, a dead boy around my age suddenly leaped off the floor and made a run for me. His eyes were a deadly white, while his skin was a rotten gray, limbs were missing from his body, which included his right arm and probably his left ear. His jaw wasn't completely attached to his face leaving him in a forever grieving face.

"I'm sorry." I whispered before I conjured a fire spell making his insides explode with a quick and painless fire, even if he had been alive he wouldn't have felt as much pain. I ran towards the middle of the town where most of the zombies were gathered. There Vincent stood on top of the mayor's building with his rifle shooting each zombie in the head. They were so many, at least eighty, and those were the ones without counting the ones Vinnie had already killed.

Taking some steps back I launched a blind spell on top of a small group, the monsters didn't even know what hit them, they simply followed my sent when their eyes didn't' functioned. I jumped away from the group before launching my conformer at their heads, easily decapitating three of them, the blood bath at my feet sent the bile of my stomach to my throat, this was gross, but we needed to lower the ranks. I saw Vincent jump off the building before perfectly landing on his feet as he changed his weapon for a machine gun.

_I wish I could do that. _I thought grumpily before shooting a ball of fire to another undead. It didn't' mattered how many times we killed them, more and more kept coming out of the darkness as if this was what feed them. _But what if it is? _The idea sprouted into my mind just as a banshee came from behind me and almost slashed my head with a spear, Vincent had shot it right though the head as this was about to happen. _How the hell did that thing got a spear?!_

"Don't get distracted." Vince warned as he passed by me before starting to shot the ever-growing crowd of monsters.

"Why are there so many?" I asked watching his back and throwing my weapon. "Tifa said that the other towns were attacked too, how can he control all of these things at the same time?!"

"I don't think he controls them once they are out, he can simply unleash them and then call them back." He tried to explain.

"How many hours till break dawn?" This was getting pretty ugly, it was such a large crowd for two of us, the ranks probably surpassed the two hundreds by now. I quickly conjured meteor (I stole it form cloud while we were on Cid's airship as a revenge for pairing me up with Vince). Killing a fourth of the monsters. I looked up at Vinnie who raised a brow at me, yup, he knew this materia wasn't mine, though as long as it helped I don't think he minded.

"At least three." He finally answered my question. Something suddenly took a hold of my arm and I twirled to wipe it's head off, the zombie cried out in pain as blood splashed against my fur coat.

"This won't be easy then." I murmured back to him, though when I turned to look at him I didn't met his red eyes, actually I didn't see Vincent at all. The Galian beast rose to it's feet before it launched a giant fire ball towards a group of undead that was gathering at the entrance of a house.

Seeing Vinnie like this always made me have a blend of emotions, amazement at how he was able to do it, fear to whether he could control himself, and awe at how strong he was during his limit breaks. In no time there was only half of the zombies even though they kept coming back. Vincent had already returned to his …eh… somewhat human form? I mean I respect him and all, but I knew that he wasn't completely human, Hojo had messed him up pretty bad.

When the number of the living dead had gone down to a reasonable amount, men from different houses came out with handguns and other fighting artifacts to help us out. _It was about time. _I thought before I casted Still Tranquil and healed everyone.

Around , and about what I think it was, five thirty in the morning and after endless battling against those corpses, the zombies and banshees started to diminish, going back into the forest. Without thinking about it Vincent and I followed them leaving the townsmen to handle the little enemies left.

The forest was dark even though the small streaks of light coming from the early morning had already found their way toward the ground. I ran, pulled branches off my way and climbed trees, but there was not a single body except for me and Vince in the forest.

"Goddamn it!" I cursed jumping off a tree and walking towards Vincent who was also watching around the woods. The snow contained no footsteps, not tracks of blood, nothing. "How can this even be possible?!"

"It is possible, it just happened." Vincent pointed out with a monotone voice.

"Thank you captain obvious." I shot at him. Well think about it, I was quite irritated at the fact that a bunch of zombies had tried to rip my skin off some minutes ago, and then just like that they were gone! And then Vinnie only says it happened just 'cuz! Not only that but I also was mad at him for what happened when we arrived here.

"Don't crack your head thinking about it. If we need to do something it's to report back to Cloud and go figure out if there are any marks left in tow, after all there was a quite measurable amount of blood left." He tried to reason with me, which of course didn't work, but I followed him reluctantly through the mass of snow that had accumulated in the woods. When we reached town once more I could have groaned in desperation. The townsmen also looked taken aback when they looked at the ground. Not a single drop of blood left, everything had vanished into thin air. All that was left were the signs of burnt logs and broken windows.

"I swear, if I find out who this necromancer is… I'll-" Without thinking about my actions I started kicking a log nearby. How could this be possible really?! I mean going into a town, destroying buildings, people, families, everything! And suddenly leaving without a trace! This made no sense at all!

The mayor came and started talking to Vince but I didn't really paid attention to what the were muttering about, all I could think and see was a little girl asking her mom where her dad was, the woman could not come up with the words to tell her that he was dead, that his corpse would never be found.

Rage built up in the pit of my stomach, it was like two and a half years ago all over again, just that this wasn't Shinra, and this wasn't a battle against a so called 'god' this was some guy who knew his magic and his strategies, and even though I didn't' had interest on knowing who it was I already wanted to kill it myself. I didn't wanted to see people suffering once again.

Yeah, I know, I can be an annoying brat like Cid says, but still, I don't like seeing people sad.

"Cloud said things didn't change for them either. They came, they fought, and they left." I turned up to see Vince's face, there was a dreadful look to him, like he feared something was happening, as if he had seen this before.

"What's wrong Vinnie?" I asked him, not that I cared about his feelings and all (since most of the time he likes to keep himself away from the others), but still I wanted to know what had caused that look to cross his face.

"The way he is working, morphing other human beings. It seems like he is following Hojo." Vincent murmured. _Well, Vinnie, I had figured out that too._ "But, for him to work this way, he needs a lab, and a big one."

"So, there are labs everywhere on Gaia." I said to him while standing up and dusting off my coat.

"Indeed, but I think I might know a good place to start looking." His eyes shifted their gaze to mine, he had an idea, but he didn't know if I was following, was this something I was supposed to know?

"Where exactly?" I asked taking the hint that either he thought I was actually getting him or not.

"Nibleheim." His dark voice mentioned.

"What?" I questioned surprised. "Don't you like live over there? How wouldn't you know there is a crazy scientist sharing your stuff?"

"I have not visited the place in some months. Either way he could be working on the mako reactor in Mt. Nibel." He had a point, maybe I should stop snapping at him for every idea he has, but the lack of hot cocoa had me at my toes for anything.

"Want to go check it out?" I asked raising a brow, I actually highly doubted Cloud would find this a good idea, he will never stop yapping about that we should have a meeting to discuss it, or that all the team should go, and if you think about it that would be bad for the towns. "We can't tell the boss man, though."

"I don't think that's a good idea, we should let him know." Vincent disagreed with me.

"Look Vinnie, I don't really think the crazy person is there, but if it is we can call them for back up. Believe me when I tell you that Cloud won't stop lecturing us if we try to leave our posts, if anyone knows about that it's me. We'll just go have a look, make sure that it's not there and come back. It shouldn't take us more than a day. We can be back in our posts by the time nightfall comes tomorrow." I tell you I think about stuff well, and Vincent seemed slightly impressed at how I worked my plan. "Besides, if they do catch us, I'll take the blame, promise!"

"Very well Yuffie. But we must be cautious, in the meantime we should rest-" Vincent started but I cut him off.

"Oh don't worry, I stole some elixirs back in the WRO headquarters." I tell you, I'm a first class ninja! "But how is it that we are going to get to Nibleheim without a ship?"

I'm not sure if Vince's mouth twitched, or if there was a small hint of a smile, but he quickly got out a shiny pair of keys before he said.

"We got Tiny Bronco."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer- All characters and places in this work belong to Square-Enix**_

Chapter 3

**Tifa's POV**

I looked out the window and at the now shining sun, morning had come and the villagers somehow looked more at ease. Some townsmen helped each other, women were crying in the arms of their children holding them close. The attack had hit where that necromancer wanted. He wanted to indulge fear, and he was getting it.

"Tifa." I looked up to meet Cloud's eyes. "How's the cut?" I glanced back down at my arm which had been scratched when a zombie took a hold of it. It was nothing too serious, after all here you can't convert into one of them, but there are some diseases that can be caused.

"I'm alright, thank you." I responded smiling up at him when I noticed he was concerned, Cloud wasn't a man of words, most of the time he liked to keep things to himself, but I could read his expressions better than anyone else.

Sometimes I wondered where I would be, if Cloud was not with me. Barret and I would have probably died when Sector 7 came down, or maybe we wouldn't have, I'm not sure myself.

"That's good. Vincent reported that he and Yuffie also encountered with the monsters, and Reeve mentioned that it happened to them too. Neither Barret nor Cid have called, but I have a feeling they too were attacked." Just as he was explaining this a call came in through the PHS and Cloud sighed. "There it is. Cid, what's the report?"

Sephiroth, Geostigma, Shinra, Hojo, so many things had affected Cloud and somehow he held strong, it was a trait I found amazing of him, even though he somehow tried run away he always confronted the things he feared. He never gave up.

_Sometimes I wish I had had the same impact you had on him. _I thought looking up at the sky wondering if she could hear me. _I know that deep inside he still loves you. Please take care of him from where you are._

"Tifa. We need to go and look at the center of town once more. Apparently Tseng is offering the help of the Turks, Shinra sent them here." I smiled when Cloud mentioned the Turks would help, they were a good bunch, a really interesting and crazy good bunch.

"That's good. Let's go." I stood up checking the bandage of my arm which was still a little damp with the alcohol Cloud had applied

_I wonder if he'll ever look at me the way he looked at you…_

**Yuffie's POV**

The warm air finally started to blow against my face as we left the coast of the northern places.

"I didn't know the old man had fixed it." I almost screamed at Vincent against the hard wind.

"Well, he said it was his hobby making it better. I asked him if I could borrow it in order to attend to the meeting." Vincent explained very as a matter-of-fact. Well he hadn't forgotten the incident either. It was his fault after all, but then again I shouldn't have done that…

"By the way Vinnie, when did you learn how to fly?" I asked standing up in my seat in order to hear him better.

"Does that really matter?" He answer shooting me a glare over his shoulder. _Ouch, you didn't have to be so mean about it. _

"Guess not." I mumbled before sitting back down, what was wrong with him? Bipolarity, was that the joke I used… yeah, it had to do something with the monsters in his head… Oh, yeah I remember now.

xxxx

I guess I learned to never mess with Vinnie when it came to the past…

xxxx

I was pacing around the airship trying not to puke what I had had for breakfast that morning, and let's say that I like to be kept alone when these moments happen.

"Yuffie, are you sure you're alright?" Tifa asked with a concerned tone. She was so nice and if I wasn't afraid that I would splatter her with food if I tried to answer I would have answered nicely to her too.

"Yup, just not in the mood to talk." I responded waving her off.

"Okay, but tell me if you need something, we're almost in Icicle Town." She tried to reassure me before walking off and into the cockpit. I swear I hated ships, and I mean _any _kind of ship, swaying motions were just not my thing unless they were from a chocobo and I knew I was on firm ground.

I could feel someone's shadow being cast upon me, though I didn't even took the effort to look up at whoever it was. The ship didn't seemed to slow down and the light movement made it all worse, stupid Cid, he probably did this on purpose.

"We're about to get there, apparently we're on top of the Bone Village." Vincent's dark voice made it's way through my ears. I didn't bother to answer and slightly shook my head.

I had actually thought he had left but I this was proven otherwise when I turned (since I was trying to reach the nearest bathroom) to the side and bumped into his back. Vincent's lightning reflexes (like mine when I'm not on the verge of vomiting) acted before I could back up and he had my hands in the air before I could say chocobo.

"Watch where you're going." He gave me a glare and I don't know why but that made me really mad. Couldn't he see that I wasn't in the mood to be argued with?

"Oh, you watch were you're walking!" I shot at him. "And get your nasty claws off my wrists." Yeah, I guess I went a little too far, but at the time being I wasn't thinking about that.

Vincent let go of me and I was finally able to feel the circulation back in my hands. And for the first time I heard Vincent comment on something that wasn't really important.

"This will be a long week." He murmured more to himself. I knew what he meant the moment he said it. We would be one week stuck in Icicle Town together, and he didn't liked the idea of me being there. Or at least this is how he was making it sound.

"You know what? I agree with you, it's going to be a hell of a week, why couldn't he just pair me up with someone else? I mean you're good and all but just boring. And gloomy too always talking about Lucrecia and all even if you know she's not here anymore." He almost growled. My head was spinning and I knew I had to run to the bathroom, but after what I had just said my blood fell to the ground. _Crap, did I just said that?_

Vincent was one second away from me and in the other he once again had a hold of my hands. Stupid airship! In land I could have had tackled him down or something.

"Don't talk about her." Maybe I was hallucinating, but his eyes seemed to glow for a second and that reminded me of his last limit… a limit break I did not wanted to see at all. Suddenly he seemed to realize what he was doing and let my hands go once again, this time I fell into the ground too astonished at his sudden change. Vinnie breathed in deeply before going back into his serious self.

"I'll go see if we can change partners if you want." His voice was once again neutral, unfeeling, boring.

"You're so bipolar." I whispered once again without thinking.

Vincent chuckled… a strange kind of chuckle that sent a chill down my spine.

"I might as well be." And with that he was gone.

Before I could even analyze the situation I made a run to the woman's bathroom completely forgetting about the small incident.

xxxx

Turns out Vinnie did asked people if they wanted to swap partners and all of them turned him down, well except Tifa, but Cloud had been near and said that I couldn't change partners once they were made. _Stupid Cloud._

I never thought that what I said was that serious, but then again when it came to Vince, I never really knew what was serious or not. When we did arrived to Icicle Town he didn't even exchanged a word with me unless it was necessary (not like he was my best buddy all the time either), and everyone else on the team gave me weird looks as if wondering what had I done to make his aura darker than usual.

To my defense all I can say is:

_Do not mess with me while on an airship! I might end up offending you or something and then I'll be mad at you too._

So to be even I didn't tried to talk to him either. This game could be played by two Mr. Darkness.

And you pretty much know the rest, the town was attacked and all, and now I was on a plane with him as he suddenly remembered that he didn't' liked me. Well that's two of us. Who knew his feelings could be hurt that easily?

_Or maybe I did went too far…_

_No Yuffie! It was his fault to begin with because of that comment._

I hate having battles with myself. Yup, I'm moving Vinnie to my blacklist right next to Cloud for making me argue against myself.

xxxx

After what seemed like an eternity, a very bad and dizzy eternity I was able to see the top of Mt. Nibel. We were almost there!

Vincent descended the airplane some miles away from Nibleheim since it would be easier and less suspicious.

"We should use the sewers to enter the manor." He murmured once we were in firm land. The day was beautiful and warm against my now uncovered arms. Gosh I missed this even if it had just been a day. I wrinkled my nose at his comment though.

"Gross, why through there?" I asked.

"If he is working on a lab he should be somewhere in the lower levels of the manor, besides, I believe that if it is expecting us to look in here he would know we would go through the main entrance." Vincent explained. He was smart, I give you that, but his voice was still ice cold towards me. I guess he hadn't gotten over it then.

"I guess, but the sewers are not the best place to throw stuff around if you get me Vince." I said to him while waving my conformer in my hand.

"Then I suppose you should stick to magic while we are down there." He didn't even turn to look at me.

"This is going to be a long day." I then realized how much I sounded like him back in the plane.

"Touché." He agreed before starting to walk towards the town.

All that I hoped was that there weren't any crazy zombies and banshees down at the sewers, because if there were… and if they were as many as the night before, I would probably leave Vinnie and try to go to the manor through a window or something.

And I didn't really knew why, but I had a bad feeling of going to the manor all together.

_You're over thinking girl_. I thought to myself before reluctantly following Vince to the creepy town of Nibleheim.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N : Hello and thank you for reading :) and I'm sorry for taking a while to upload ^^ this chapter is slightly longer than the last one. _**

**Tifa's POV**

We reached the town square of Kalm where there were four people dressed in blue suits, the Turks. Reno was trying to say something to Rude while Elena was animatedly talking to Tseng who looked as formal as always.

"We could do this without them." Cloud muttered under his breath as we approached the group.

"They always end up helping us out." I reminded him while lightly patting him on the shoulder.

It was funny how Cloud behaved around them sometimes, but in the end they used to be our enemies before everything happened. I liked them though, especially Reno who sometimes reminded me of Yuffie with his talkativeness and easygoing aura that hung around him.

"Cloud, Tifa." Tseng saluted as Cloud and I got close enough, he was eying us closely just like Cloud had being some seconds ago, both of them were kind of weary of each other no matter what happened. "It's a pleasure to see you both."

"The same here." Cloud answered simply.

"Well hello boss man, where is the rest of the gang?" Reno asked as he approached us with his hands behind his head and in a lazy way, Rude came closely behind him.

"We are informed about the necromancer." Tseng continued ignoring Reno's question. "Mr. Shinra sent us in case we could be of use."

"I say we shouldn't have leaved him alone, but some WRO squad stayed with him." Elena quickly defended.

"Our group separated into the four towns that were attacked in order to see if there could be a close location to where the necromancer could be operating from, though we aren't too sure if this could be helping." Cloud explained. I looked around, wondering if this was the best place to be discussing these matters, and as if taking my hint Cloud spoke again. " But for further explanation we should go to the inn."

xxxx

The hotel room was quiet most of the time as Cloud explained the matters and the strategies to the Turks, Reno would sometimes make comments about the way we were doing things and how they could have already kicked this enemy out of the map, Tseng stood quiet taking in the information as so did Rude, Elena would try to look deep in thought but would sometimes carry on the conversation with Reno.

I stood silently against the window watching as the early morning slowly ticked on, how would the town be tonight? Would it be attacked? Would more people suffer the pain of seeing a loved one go? Would this blood shedding nightmare end for those kids whose eyes have just presence what happened the night before?

Or would it be another town?

Children, families who were unaware of the horrible happenings of the night, who thought the nightmare had passed two years ago, the bad dream that another entity had reawakened.

"Have you guys checked the place where all darkness reside?" Reno asked raising a perfect red brow. Of course he was talking about Midgar, who didn't thought about that place when evil villains came to mind?

"No, unfortunately. Reeve was prepared to send a squad in that direction, but we decided to investigate further in the towns in order to see what we could do." Cloud answered.

"Then we should start there, right boss?" Elena said immediately after Cloud and turning to Tseng.

"The problem with Midgar is that there have been no sightings of monsters towards that direction, also people in Edge have reported that there are no sounds coming from either the city or the slums." I spoke earring the looks from everyone in the room.

"It could also be a strategy, so that no one would think about Midgar as the place of origin and would focus on the towns that were attacked." Rude, who had also been silent the whole time, pointed out.

I bit my lip, he was right, we didn't though about that before… or at least I didn't. Why didn't that ever crossed my mind?

"Then I'd like to go and see." Cloud declared standing up, his gaze suddenly shifted to me, I always thought his eyes were beautiful, even before the mako. "Tifa, do you think you can go with an injured arm?" He was once again worried that I would get injured. _Really Cloud? After all that we've been through you still worry for me like this? _I smiled up at him.

"Of course."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Reno interrupted standing up from his seat in the bed and came up to us swaying his arm sin the air as if he was a referee. "Aren't we going to Midgar? And I mean we, as in the Turks we."

"It'd be smart to leave someone as guard of the town, you're right." Cloud mentioned thinking about it. "Tseng, do you think that Elena and Rude could stay behind?"

"What? Why?!" Elena burst out also getting in her feet and looking back and forth between the two leaders.

"I believe we can work with that." Tseng nodded at cloud's comment.

"B-but…" Elena trailed off knowing she couldn't say much after Tseng had agreed.

"Okay, we're set. We should leave as soon as possible." With that final statement from Cloud everyone stood up ready to leave again.

_Well, here we go again._

xxxx

**Yuffie's POV**

Squish, squash, squish, squash. Really that's all you could hear down here! It was gross if you ask me, the smell was gross, the water looked gross, everything was gross! Gosh, I hate dark places, not as much as moving things, but still. Vinnie didn't made much of a talk either which didn't helped me much.

I didn't wanted to know what was floating in these waters, yuck, how old were these sewers anyways? As old as Vince maybe… how old was Vinnie again?

"Hey Vinnie, how old are you?" I asked as we walked through the dark hole, when I thought about it the sewers kind of had a green glow to it, maybe because the few lights here and there were covered with moss.

"Since when has my age become a conversation starter?" He questioned back glancing at me over his shoulder. _Gee Vince, so cold, you could really be a yeti. _

"Well, since there is nothing much to do here, and since I'm bored… So how old Vince?" I hoped around whatever some slimy thing was and looked at Vince from his profile view, his eyes flickered towards me before looking straight ahead once more.

"Sixty-two." He answered. _Man, he's old, but he still keeps his good looks. Wait what? _ I quickly brushed my thoughts away, I mean yeah Vinnie is hot and all but I've never wondered about his good looks.

Like for example, his hair is so black it doesn't shine as much as mine under the light, and look at his eyes, they're really cool being red and all, and if you asked me I actually envied that he had perfect skin. The only thing that bothers me sometimes about him (besides all the sulkiness and depression, and all that) is that he never changes his clothes! Every time I see him is the same, maybe he washes them, but maybe he doesn't, grossness, though I have seen him enter the bathroom at Cloud and Tifa's place and he does take a shower…

A small noise came into my ninja ears, it was a small squish in the water, but not like any noise me and Vince had done earlier.

"Vinnie… did you-?"

"Yes, I heard it." He murmured back, my skin was crawling, okay, I knew I said that I would leave Vince alone if any monster showed up, the thing is that I didn't quite remembered which way the exit was anymore. Great, just great.

"What do you think that was?"

"I'm not sure, could be anything." There he went again, not really caring whether it could be another mob of zombies, lovely.

A shadow caught my attention; there was another path, to what seemed like another tunnel. Maybe the noise came from there, but not only was the noise what could have come from there, there was also something wrong with this path, something I didn't liked, heck I didn't like anything about this. That path was dark as hell, like pure, deathly darkness, just how the forest had seemed the night before.

Another noise, coming from the opposite direction made me and Vinnie jump up in position, his hand was already around Cerberus and I had three small shrunken in my hand when we saw it.

"Vince, do the ninja turtles really live in sewers?" I questioned as I looked up, how did we not noticed them.

"I'm not sure." He responded, wow, was that actually a joke?! Could Vinnie really carry on a joke? Never mind that! I needed to concentrate. I had seen these things before just that I couldn't remember; maybe I stole a thing or two from them when we were traveling around the world. _Though never in the sewers. _

They looked like ninja turtles in my opinion, just that these ones had spears and liked spitting things out, I really couldn't recall how they were called, just that they were creepy and I wasn't in a mood to see creepy things.

They attacked, we attacked, you know the drill, soon enough we were spilling water everywhere while I casted fire on them. _Ha! Eat mastered materia you slimy thing! _There was a reasonable amount of them and Vinnie didn't seem bothered at the fact that we were wasting time.

And suddenly my PHS started ringing, crap.

Tiffy was calling, oh gawd, what could I say to her while we were in the middle of a battle?

_Hey Tiffy! How are you? Me, oh you know just here hanging out with Vinnie and the ninja turtles in the sewers of Niblehim. What Cloud wants to talk to me about how he's going to kill me? Nah, maybe later but say hi to him either way._

Yeah, that didn't sound like the smartest thing to do.

Darn, I needed to answer- A monster leaped in the air ready to spear me but I was too quick and casted lightning three on it, at the sudden move my PHS leaped out of my small pouch and fell in the dark green waters.

Or maybe not.

The sound died from the little machine and I knew that it was because either Tifa decided to give up at the moment or because the thing simply died, not like any of those options would have me digging in the water, yeah, there was simply no way I would do that.

In a matter of minutes Vinnie and I were done with the small army of… err whatever those things were... And we resumed walking on.

"Cloud called?" Vince asked and I bit the inside of my lip, darn it.

"Yup, but let's just say that my PHS died, passed away, went to the Promised Land, and all that other things that happen when you stop dirking air." Don't worry people I know I can't drink air, it's just a metaphor… or at least I think it is.

"Were you able to answer them?" He raised a brow to me, phew he was being more talkative than earlier which probably meant that he was getting over it.

"Nope." I answered honestly as I looked back through were we came from. That tunnel entrance was still there, looking as dark as always, where could it lead?

Vicne got out his PHS and quickly dialed Cloud, of course he would call the boss man instead of Tiffa, they were like best buddies or something like that.

"Vincent." Cloud's voice acknowledged him as soon as the line picked up. _How come there is even signal here?! "_Tifa told me Yuffie didn't answered her calls, I was about to call you."

Tiffa, always willing to turn me in in case something suspicious pops up.

"Yuffie lost her PHS yesterday while we were fighting off the zombies. I was just going to inform that nothing seems to be happening at the moment. How are you guys doing?" Did Vince literally say all of that? That might have been a political speech. "Did something happen?"

"The Turks came to help, Tseng, Reno, Tifa, and I are heading to Midgar to see if there might be any leads. Tifa wanted to let Yuffie know." Cloud explained through the crackling signal.

"Alright, I'll tell her that." Vincent responded.

"See you guys later, and make sure to report if anything shows up." Spiky reminded us before the line went dead; well he wasn't really someone who said goodbye the normal way.

"So they didn't found out about our little escape?" I asked hopeful.

"No." Ah, back to single word answers.

"Hey Vince, do you hate me?" Whoa, did I just asked that? He turned to look at me weird, as if wondering what the heck had I happened with my head, but then he went back to being serious and stoic.

"Why do you ask that?" His voice cut through the splashing of our feet.

"Well... Kind of because I get that vibe that you don't like me much." Oh well, if I had asked the question I might as well keep up the conversation.

"And why would that be?" He didn't answered much, in a way he was throwing back my questions at me.

"Well I don't know, since I kind of offended you or something. To tell the truth I think you find me annoying and that's why you think you shouldn't carry a conversation with me." Ooh, I was smart, I figured out!

"I actually I do not find you annoying, you're rather interesting, though the fact that you sometimes go over the top on certain topics that do not concern to you is what ends up getting you in trouble." Okay, I did took a while trying to understand everything of what he had just said.

_One, Vinnie finds me interesting. Two, did he just answered me with that much of a sentence?! _

"So you think I should shut up from time to time?" I took a shot at understanding what he had meant.

"If that is how you interpret it, then yes." _Ouch, okay, maybe he didn't found me that interesting._

"Weeell, Mr. Darkness you should talk a little more from time to time too." I pointed out, crossing my arms behind my head. Vinnie nodded at my comment.

"I'll work on that." If I had been drinking something I would have spilled it right there. Vincent Valentine, aka the vampire-looking-prince-of-darkness-and-king-of-sil ence had just said he would work on something I mentioned to him? Okay, I was dead, I was totally dead and this was one of those delusions you get when you die, either that or I was really drunk, stupid Cid probably challenged me on a drinking competition again…_ oh wait I can't drink yet… that's why Tiffy beat the crap out of the old man that time._

I looked down at my boots, wondering why the gross water was starting to feel colder, weird; I remembered it being green, not black. The water looked pitch black, as if we were walking on a moonless night. A knot formed on my stomach, _As if we were walking through that dark tunnel. _The dark liquid seemed to start building up little by little, crawling up my legs.

I'm the great ninja of Wutai who is not afraid of _anything,_ but this was actually freaking me out, this thing was colder than ice, a painful horrible icing black.

"Vincent, there is something wrong with this place." I murmured getting a hold of his cape. Vince looked at me before studying the place where we were standing, the black puddle seemed to have extended wherever there was water. The sound of something like a waterfall suddenly made itself present and a chill went down my spine. Vinnie's eyes flickered to something that was behind me and I looked back almost knowing what was coming.

Out of the dark tunnel came water, a massive amount of black water that quickly flooded the path in which we had just walked through.

Out of nowhere Vince grabbed my hand and started running, not like I needed any incitement as I was running too.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. _Where was that damn ladder?!

The water was catching up to us and somehow made it harder to run, it was hardening against our feet, as if ice chunks were getting attacked to our shoes.

_There it is! _The stupid ladder came into view as we restlessly ran with the giant current at our heels. We were so close, some meters away actually, and I almost could have reached for it if I hadn't slipped.

Stupid shoes, stupid ice chunks, stupid water! Vincent's hold didn't let me go as he tried to bring me up, but it was too late, the black water had catch up to us and was quickly flooding the sewers.

My body was numb, the coldness of the water surpassed any other feeling at the moment, as if I had been thrown in a freezer or worse.

"Vince!" I choked out as I saw him disappear in the darkness of the water, his hand never let mine go and I suddenly felt his arms wrap around me. I couldn't move at all, this was horrible. The air was missing in my lungs but at the same time no water seemed to enter. This was weird, clearly magic.

In those hazy events I thought I heard him murmur something, but I lost consciousness as the water swallowed us both.

_I knew coming here was a bad idea._


	5. Chapter 5

_**My apologies for taking so long to update! My family took us (me and my sisters that is) on a vacation trip with some relatives, and I didn't have access to my computer (TT_TT)**_

_**Either way, thank you for reading! I am aware I said I wasn't going to put to many characters that aren't part of the videogame, but since there aren't many enemies I have to speculate, just have in mind that the main archenemy is the necromancer ^^ I don't want to ramble too much lol**_

_**Disclaimer- Square-Enix owns Final Fantasy VII and all the characters and videogames related to it! :) **_

_**By the way, I'd like to know your opinion :) so please review on what you think of it so far maybe? lol Thanks again for reading ^^**_

Chapter 5

**Yuffie's POV**

The small and constant sound of water dripping somewhere was simply annoying. Cloud probably forgot to do the plumbing again, or maybe it was raining and there was a leak in my room, darn it. Why on mine? Why not on Denzel's, or in Tifa's, or in Cloud's? Oh, yeah, because they didn't really cared about me sleeping in the guest's room, simple as that.

_Wait a second… this doesn't feel like my bed… _I thought as my eyes snapped open. _Shoot_ The water, the nasty black water! And where was Vinnie?! I tried to get up in a hurry only to be restrained back by some leather straps around my neck, torso, arms, and legs. Okay, this wasn't good. Turning around I noticed that I was laying on something like a hospital bed, the room, however was old looking, there were some light on top of me which made it hard to see, and I could still hear the constant dripping of something. _If I'm not mistaken I'm inside of the manor. _Well, crap. This wasn't good at all.

So from what I knew this was some kind of lab, Vinnie and I were separated, I was pretty much stuck here, and I had lost my stupid PHS. Totally not my luckiest day.

"Hey!" I yelled at the top of my lungs and noticed how hoarse my voice sounded. "You stupid little necromancer! Untie me and let's see if you're so cool! You just wait and see!"

Could they hear me? Probably not, but I didn't cared. Ugh.

Suddenly a door opened from the right and a dark figure strode in. Oh crap, maybe they could hear me. Well I was dead.

"Oh would you shut up?! The boss is not here, he wouldn't be here idiot." A girls voice suddenly called out. I tried to turn my head but the stupid strap around my neck promised some bruises if I did so I simply asked.

"And who are you? His lovely assistant?" Heh, get it? He's a magician, she's- well you get me.

The woman finally came into view as she popped her head over me, her blonde curls fell over her shoulder and her cruel green eyes studied me behind her glasses. Super red lipstick on, and what seemed like a lab coat. She had an air that she was a b*tch and I didn't liked that, also she looked extremely annoyed.

"Shut up. I'm a student of his, together with Christian who is with Vincent Valentine." She thought about it for a moment. "Actually you should be grateful you got me, even if Christian is really into his job he can be a perv when it comes to women. He probably would have raped you or something while you were out, but the boss wanted us to strictly be me with you and him with Vincent." She then grabbed her face and a disappointed look crossed her features. "Though I would have loved to torture Vincent. He would have been such a fine experiment knowing about how he can shift and all. But oh well, I'll have to do with you."

Experiment, necromancer, creepy lab… well this wasn't looking good.

"So, you're telling me I'm an experiment." _Brilliant Yuffie, give her ideas._

"Yes, finally you start thinking, maybe your brain won't be that useless. My first experiment that is alive! How awesome is that?" She said to me with a wicked smile.

Dear Leviathan, I'm locked up with a psycho.

**Tifa's POV**

"Cloud." I called out to him who was looking bored outside the window.

"Yes?" He asked turning to me, his eyes ready for any threat that could be hiding in the darkness.

"Could you try calling Vincent again?" I had an uneasy feeling in me, something was not right, but I couldn't really put my finger on it and it was driving me mad.

"I called him an hour ago." Cloud responded not really finding it intelligence in my comment, but as he studied me he understood. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, I just have a bad feeling." I breathed. "I know they can take care of themselves, but… I don't know, it's like I know Yuffie is in trouble, and Vincent too."

"Then I'll call him if that'll reassure you." There was a small hint of a smile at the end of his lips, it was interesting how this was becoming more frequent with Cloud, and somehow this made me happy. I have to admit it is absurd thinking that Yuffie could be in danger, she is a strong girl, besides Vince is with her… yet.

Cloud picked up his PHS and quickly dialed Vincent's number. We were nearing Midgar, I could already see the ruins of the old empire. What for a small amount of time I used as my home, they were all slums now, garbage, and ruins.

"He's not picking up." Cloud muttered more to himself and my heart sank just for a moment, Vincent always picked up, no matter what unless it was Yuffie.

"Hey boss man! We're here!" Reno shouted from the front of the vehicle.

"Cloud…" I was going to tell him to not to worry about it, that Yuffie probably had lost Vincent's PHS too, but before I could Cloud took a hold of my hand sending a small electroshock through my skin.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're okay. I'll try to call him later on the day, alright?" He murmured looking at me straight in the eye. I smiled at him.

"Okay."

**Yuffie's POV**

"I swear if you don't get away from me you'll reject living!" I screamed over my lungs as I saw the crazy lady walk over to a small table where some crazy looking lab materials were laid. Meanwhile I was also trying to cut the stupid restrains from my hands with a small blade I kept hidden inside my wristband. I tell you I'm pretty smart when it comes to situations like these, but it was hard not having the crazy lady noticing.

"I might as well sedate you since you're so loud." She said more to herself and I gasped. _No, no sedating nice little-psycho-necromancer-student. _

Where was Vinnie all this time? I mean I got he was stuck with another loco (who apparently was also a pervert) in some other room of the manor, but usually he took less time in getting away, you know he should go all Chaos on him or something! But then again, I couldn't really judge since I should have kicked the operated butt of this lady too.

_Okay Yuffie, you can do this. This leather is kind of old and not so thick so just concentrate and keep sliding the damn blade up and down. _I instructed myself while I heard something like water starting to spill on a bottle.

"I'll start getting the syringes ready." She hummed along. A shiver went down my back, not good at all. Suddenly there was a knock in the door and the lady groaned exasperated. "What does he want now?" Her heels clacked through the tiled floor as she made her way towards a door I could not see. The lights on top were getting annoying, If I could I would have thrown a shuriken at them already. "What are you doing here?"

"So impolite to your fellow classmates." A male's voice which dangerously sounded like a purr broke the small sound of the machines in the room. Ugh, one of these guys… I could almost imagine him leaning over the door frame as if he was some sort of model or whatever. "I was wondering if you had more morphine or concentrated sleeping gas, I need to keep him down since he's capable of breaking the restrains when awake."

So if I understood right, Vinnie was actually trying to fight off the other lunatic even while he was drugged, and I was here trying to cut off the stupid leather straps with a small blade. Gosh he made me see all weak. I needed to make a plan, a master plan, a Yuffie plan to be exact. Something to distract them so I could simply cut the rest of my restrain, or do something for Leviathan's sake! I bit the inside of my lip nervously thinking as the two enemies kept talking about some other nonsense. Having Vince under medical eye surely put him on the edge back when we were treating the wounds after Meteor Fall, which probably wasn't better now that he was back in one of these scary labs.

"-you think I should cut off her arms and replace them with something more usable?" Suddenly the voice of the woman called my attention. _Cut off her arms… _

"Oh, hell no!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs and almost spitting on the way the words stumbled off my lips. "You better not touch a freaking single piece of skin in my arms or any part of my body for that matter! I swear on my dead mother's grave I will personally disable you of any physiological ability you posses!"

The room stayed silent for some seconds as my words sank in their ears. I meant it, and they surely believed me, but what could a girl strapped to a lab bed do to two persons armed with surgical tools. Yeah, not too much.

_Back and forth, Yuffie, simply concentrate in moving the stupid blade back and forth._

"I swear, she's going to give me a headache." Groaned the woman.

"Why not put her out for a while?" Suggested the man who I remembered was called Christian.

"Well I was going to Capitan obvious, but then you came in and started babbling about some nonsense." She answered angrily to him. The piece of leather gave out around my hand. _Score_!

"So cold Kathy." He purred, clearly a natural flirt.

"Shut up."

There was a breaking noise from outside, though I couldn't crane my neck and see what had exactly happened.

"Shit." The guy cursed and suddenly his wild steps were heard.

"Oh, this sounds interesting. I'll be back brat, you stay there and wait patiently." She murmured to me before following Christina, the room suddenly fell silent around me except from the constant dripping of something and the small buzz of the machines. Now that my hands were free I immediately worked on the restrains by my ribcage and my neck talking less time since I wasn't being watched. Whatever the noise had been I was sure it had been Vinnie, he somehow came helpful even when he wasn't even trying to help. Finally I was able to cut the leather that had been binding my legs together and was able to appreciate the whole room.

It looked old to begin with, some modern changes had been made to the room like the hospital bed and the fancy white tables that held the macabre looking instruments. It took me three seconds to know that my weapons were probably not here which wasn't very good. I didn't have much time since the blonde was probably going to make her way back if there was nothing too interesting to see in the other room, and I also had to get Vinnie out of his room before they tried to cut his limbs off like they were planning on doing to me.

I tiptoed as silently as I could towards the door and examined the locks, none of them were on and there wasn't any need f a cardkey or anything else thorough that line. Obviously they dint' thought I would make it through. _Ha! They do not know the Great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi! _I though opening the door and stepping right through it. The hallway seemed to go forever to both sides, though some doors were laid out now and then, all of them were identical to the one which I had just sapped out from. There was surely a way to get through this mansion without getting discovered… by who? They didn't' have a whole army of soldiers or anything of the sort, so what could really trap me? A zombie , a banshee? Not likely.

Steps coming from my right advised me to go to the left so I sprinted as fast as I could. The place looked morbid with all the stone walls and creepy medieval doors, but I had been here once in my life with Cloud and the gang and knew this was probably one of the lower levels. I needed to actually locate myself, find a spot where I knew I could follow the stairs and get out… well you know, when I get Vinnie out with me too.

I couldn't really think about escaping and rescuing Vinnie without my weapons though, and my materia too! Those little… they had my materia, how could I have forgotten about that?! A shrill sound of a half scream and a bunch of things breaking caught my attention. It had come from the direction I had walked through and I half expected it to be-

"She's gone! The stupid little brat is gone!" Yup, it was what I expected it to be. I looked everywhere for a way out, the hallway still seemed to have no ending towards any way and it was a one-way path only, I glanced up and thought about my only salvation as more footsteps joined the ones coming from the right. Without really thinking about it I jumped as high as I could and got a hold of the sides of an air duct that was directly above me -blame it on my ninja skills- before bringing it down with me. There was a very slim chance that no one but I had heard that, and when the steps suddenly became into full running sound I knew they had heard it too.

The roof wasn't that high, but I knew that it wasn't possible to make a jump that high without hitting the other side of the duct and falling right back. _Then again, most of the things I do aren't really possible until I do them. _I thought to myself as the footsteps neared more and more. I gulped, there was only one chance in there and I was going to take it.

I took a deep breath before backing away some steps and running towards the wall to my right, as soon as my foot landed in the heavy stone I impulse myself towards the wall adjacent to it in a swivet jump before actually taking a leap to the air duct. My hands took the inside of the duct and I almost fell right back to the floor, but my muscles were better trained and I picked up myself in a crouched position inside the small tunnel.

With no time to think I started crawling knowing that the- (whatever was following me) things would probably find the lid of the air duct lying on the floor and decipher my escape. All that didn't' mattered though, I needed to find my stuff and get Vinnie out before something horrible happened, like getting my arms chopped off or something in that line.

Not only that, but also the matter that I had completely no idea how long I had been out, it could have been some minutes, or a whole day or two! I mean, think about all those people freezing their butts off in Icicle town! What if the zombies attacked during the nigh… or what if-

_No. No time for thinking about what ifs. _I shook my head violently while still crawling.. I came to another lid that led to another hallway (or probably the someone since it looked so long) and I decided to hop off the tunnels. With my small blade I undid the bolts in the sides and silently took the vent inside before kicking my legs through the square and falling perfectly in my two feet. I took no time in striding away, the footsteps weren't audible in this part of the manor and I actually saw an opening to another hallway, taking this as an opportunity I followed it and found myself in front of the main entranced. Well this was unexpected, I didn't think I had taken that long in the tunnels, then again I wasn't really thinking while I was there.

Just as I was carefully tiptoeing through the middle of the entrance a sound broke through the stillness of the air. A sound I was too familiar with:

An incoming call of the PHS.

The annoying rightone was distant, but I didn't thought about it twice and ran towards it, for all I knew my stuff was probably there too. I sprinted up the mossy stairs and towards the right where the sound was persistent. I opened a door with a quick shove of my shoulder and found a room full of things, my gear, personal belongings of different people, Vince's guns, and other materials. My mateira was nowhere to be seen which annoyed me to my deepest core, but I ignored this and went ahead and answered the PHS (which was right besides Vinnie's belongings). I saw _Tifa _as the person who was calling and smiled inwardly thinking about an excuse.

"Hey Tiffy, sorry for not answering-"

"Yuffie? Why are you answering Vincent's PHS?" Cloud's voice asked through the other side of the machine. A chill went down my back. Oh Gawd, not the boss man. Cloud had a thing for not making it easy for me to lie to him, actually I think the only persons that could actually lie to him in the face without him noticing were Tiffy and Vinnie. A white wind cleared everything I had been planning to tell Tifa from my mind and I simply stood there with my mouth parted slightly. "Yuffie?" He asked again.

Deliberately I turned off the PHS immediately regretting it the moment I did so.

This wouldn't be pretty.

The machine started beeping once again with a call that recorded it was Cloud himself calling and not Tifa. Suddenly I heard someone running up the wooden stairs approaching the room which was probably because the sound of the machine had startled them. _Thanks a lot spiky. _

A man suddenly opened the door with a loud bang. His hair was black and it hung over his blue eyes but not a lot past his neck, his hair contrasted with his pale skin tone that almost reached Vincent's white. He was wearing a black suit under a white lab coat, and even though you'd think that him being a scientist and all (or a necromancer for all I know) would look weak, but not really, he looked pretty imposing, almost as scary as Cloud and Vinnie can be, as if there was this aura around him that screamed "Dark-creepy-man that-can-stare-you-down."

To my surprise he didn't scared when he found me grabbing my conformer as soon as he opened the door, actually a dark smirk formed in his lips when our gazes met.

"Found you." He murmured in a low dark purr, and I knew this was Christian, the creepy/crazy/perverted fellow worker of the blonde lady.

This wouldn't be pretty at all.


End file.
